Combination valve structure



Sept. 3, 1946. J. A. BROOKS COMBINATION VALVE STRUCTURE INVENTOR. 7gb flgsrmia.

Original Filed Feb. 22, 1945 v izw.

Patented Sept. 3, i946 COMBINATION VALVE STRUCTURE John A. Brooks, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Howard Foundry Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Original application February 22, 1943, Serial No.

476,781. Divided and this application September 18, 1944, Serial No. 554,573

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to combination valve structure, and is a division of my application for Letters Patent of the United States filed February 22, 1943, for improvements in Transformer cooling means, Serial No. 476,781.

Objects of the invention include the provision of a novel form of valve structure; the provision of a'valve structure including a universally mounted discharge member and a valve member co-operable therewith to control the volume of flow through said discharge member; the provision of a structure of the type described including a main body portion having a passage therethrough, a valve cooperable with the passage to control the flow of fluid therethrough, a cap adiustably mounted on the main body portion, a discharge member universally mounted on the cap, and means co-operable between the cap and body for controlling the position of the valve;

the provision of a construction as above described including means for maintaining the joint between the universally mounted discharge memher and the body against leakage therebetween; and the provision of a construction as above described in which the discharge member comprises a spray nozzle.

The above being among the objects of the present invention the same consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing, and then claimed, having the above objects in view.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates a uitable embodiment of the present invention and in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several difierent views,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of my improved device showing the same connected into a water header a fragment of which is shown also in side elevational view.

Fig. 2 i an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the valve in open position.

Fig. 3 i a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the valve in closed position.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational View of the spray nozzle member shown in the preceding views taken looking in the same direction as in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of a modified form of spray nozzle adaptable for use in connection with construction shown in the preceding figures.

Fig. 6 is a plan View of the washer which supports the ball valve.

As disclosed in my patent application above identified the device of the present invention was designed primarily for use in connection with means for water-cooling existing types of electrical transformers, which means includes as a part thereof a header pipe surrounding the up per end of an electrical transformer in outwardly spaced relation with respect thereto. At intervals in the length of the header spray nozzles are mounted for the purpose of directing a spray of water therefrom upon the surface of the transformer to thereby cool it and permit it to run continuously in excess of its rated or normal capacity. In view of the fact that such transformels are conventionally placed out of doors and often in the path of prevailing winds, it was found desirable to be able to vary the direction of the spray from the various nozzles and the amount of water ejected from each. one independently of the rest so as to enable an equal cooling of the transformer around its entire periphery to be obtained despite such wind or other conditions. The present invention was conceived as an answer to such problem and while it is shown and described herein as applied to its originally intended use, it will be appreciated that it and particularly the form of discharge member therefore may be varied to accommodate any particular use to which it may be put.

Referring now to the drawing, in Figs. 1 and 2 a portion of the header pipe above referred to is indicated at Ill, the portion of the same there shown being provided, as indicated in Fig. 2, with an opening I2 through its bottom wall in which is relatively closely received the short pilot portion 14 of a fitting I6 secured thereto by welding, brazing, soldering or the like as at lit. The fitting I6 is provided with an axial opening 26) and its lower end is axially relieved in outwardly spaced relation with respect to the margins of the opening 213 so as to form an axially protruding annular valve seat 22.

The lower portion of the fitting I6 i reduced in diameter as at 24 and is exteriorly threaded, and threadably receives thereon in sealed relation with respect thereto, the threaded bore 21 formed at the upper end of a hollow body portion 26.

threadably receives thereon the cap member 28. The cap member 28 is centrally provided in its end wall with a partially spherical seat 30 upon which is received a ball member 32 arranged with it center above the lower face of the cap member 28 and concentric with the center of the surface 30, thereby providing a construction wherein the ball member 32 is prevented from downward movement through the cap 28 and is universally movable upon the seat 30 with respect to the cap 28 and body 26.

The ball member 32 is provided with a reduced radially projecting neck 34 which is exteriorly threaded and in the particular case shown in Figs. 1-4 inclusive, threadably receives thereon a spray nozzle member 36. The ball member and the neck 34 which forms the discharge member of the valve are provided with a central bore 33 communicating the bore 2'5 of the body portion 25 with the central passage Ml of the spray nozzle 36. In the particular case shown the spray nozzle 36 is of a type having a laterally disposed discharge mouth or pocket 52 approximately 90 in angular extent in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the nozzle in open communication with the passage MP, thus providing a spray nozzle which will eject a spray laterally therefrom which is of limited angular extent about the axis of the nozzle.

In order to provide a seal between the body portion 26 and the ball member 32 an annular washer M is provided Within the body portion 26 in closely fitting relation with respect to the bore 21 thereof and with its lower surface shaped for complementary engagement with the surface of the ball member 32. A Washer 46 overlying the sealing member '14 is constantly urged in a direction to compress the sealing washer 44 between the body portion 26 and the ball member 32 by means of a coil spring 48 maintained under com-- pression between the washer 46 and the shoulder 50 formed at the junction of the counterbore 2'5 of the main body portion 26 and the reduced threaded opening 2'! in its upper end. The sealing washer 44 is preferably formed from rubber, cork, or other readily flexible and yielda'ble mate rial impervious to the efiects of water or other liquid which is to flow through the device, so that under the influence of the force of the spring 68 an efiective seal is maintained between the body portion 26 and the ball member 32 regardless of the threaded position of the cap 28 on the body portion 26.

In accordance with the present invention a valve, shown in the form of a ball 52 in the particular embodiment shown, is positioned in the bore 21 of the main body portion 26 between the ball member 32 and the valve seat 22. Any suitable means may be provided for preventing the ball 52 from sealing ofi the bore 38 in the ball member 32 and in the particular embodiment shown such means comprises radially inwardly projecting fingers 54 arranged in angularly spaced relation in respect to each other around the margins of the central opening of the washer 46 as shown in Fig. 6.

With the construction thu described it will, of course, be appreciated that the ball member 32 being mounted for universal movement in the cap member 28, the nozzle member 36 may be tilted either backwardly or forwardly, or sidewardly, or may be turned in its seat 39 in the cap 28, to direct the spray therefrom in any desired direction within reasonable limits.

At the same time it will be appreciated that by threading the cap 28 upwardly or downwardly on the body portion 26 the ball valve 52 may be caused to approach or recede from the seat 22 and thereby vary the amount of fluid flowing through the passage and through the device to the nozzle 36. For instance, as illustrated in Fig.

3, the cap member 28 may, if desired, be threaded upwardly upon the body portion 26 to such an extent as to bring the ball valve 52 into contact with the seat 22, under which conditions the flow of fiuid through the device will be completely shut 01f. On the other hand, a illustrated in Fig. 2, if the cap 28 is threaded downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 2 the passage 20 will be completely opened and a maximum flow of fluid will be permitted through the device. Positions of the cap 28 on the main body 26 intermediate these two extreme positions will, as will be readily appreciated, enable the flow of fluid through the device to be varied from a maximum to a minimum by infinitesimal increments.

As previously mentioned, the particular spray nozzle 36 is simply shown as indicative of one of many types of spray nozzles that may be employed in connection with the device. In Fig. 5 a spray nozzle 60 is shown of the type which discharges a circularly sectioned spray therefrom, and it will be appreciated that the nozzle 68 may be substituted for the nozzle 36 if desired, or any other type or construction of other spray or other nozzles, or other liquid discharge members or devices, may be substituted in place of the nozzle shown.

It will be appreciated from the above that in accordance with the present invention a liquid discharge device is provided in which the discharge member is mounted for a limited amount of universal movement and in which, a a unitary part of the device, valvular means are provided which may be quickly and simply adjusted to provide any desired volume of flow of fluid through the device from a minimum amount to a maximum amount.

Having thus described my invention what I claim by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the type described, in combination, a main body having a bore therethrough and a counterbore forming an internal shoulder therein, a valve seat portion in said bore, an apertured cap member threadably mounted upon said main body for movement axially thereof, a discharge member carried by said cap member for a limited amount of universal movement with respect thereto, an annular sealing element within said counterbore of said main body in sealing engagement with respect to the wall of said counterbore and said discharge member, a spring within said counterbore maintained under compression between said shoulder and said sealing element,

and a Valve in said counterbore between said discharge member and said valve seat portion cooperable with said valve seat portion to vary the flow of liquid through said device.

2. A pray head comprising, in combination, a main body portion having a bore and a counterbore forming a radial shoulder therein, an apertured valve seat portion in the said bore, an apertured cap member threadably mounted on one 70 end of said main body portion for movement longitudinally thereof and having a spherical seat surrounding the aperture thereof, a discharge member having a spherical end portion received by said seat, an annular packing element received in said counterbore in sealing relation with re spect to the wall thereof and to said spherical end of said discharge member, a coil spring maintained under compression between said shoulder and said packing element, a valve member received Within said spring, and means carried by said cap member maintaining said valve member out of flow restricting relation with respect to said discharge member, said valve member :being movable with said cap member into flow restricting relation with respect to said apertured valve eat portion.

3. A spray head comprising, in combination, a main body portion having a bore and a counterbore forming a radial shoulder therein, an apertured valve seat portion in the said bore, an apertured cap member threadably mounted on one end of said main body portion for movement longitudinally thereof and having a spherical seat surrounding the aperture thereof, a discharge member having a spherical end portion received by said seat, an annular packing element received in said counterbore in sealing relation with respect to the Wall thereof and to said spherical end of said discharge member, a coil spring maintained under compression between said houlder and said packing element, and a valve member positioned within said coil spring and movable in response to movement of said cap member axially of said main body portion to close the aperture of the said valve seat portion to the flow of liquid therethrough.

JOHN A. BROOKS. 

